I think today's game will be one of those where once again we need to keep the penalty's down to the bare minimum. They seem to be costing us big time in this tournament in points, see Wales, and it keeps breaking up our own play of keeping the opposition under pressure... I do think we have the better pack, but the Aussies have the better backs, they always have to fair, and if they turn up then I think we are in trouble... So the game for me will be decided by the brains of the side, the fulcrum of any top union side, the half backs... It's all about the decision making in the big games and if your off your game in that department then it's curtains for your side... Youngs / Farrell or Genia / Foley which ones would you be backing...?? I'm not totally sure but I will trust our combo as it's the one I've been telling all my mates is the one we should have had from the very start...
Stupid delusion Cyc... Your mob have the better backs apart from our full back, Brown... It's too close to call but the Aussie backs as a unit are much free flowing than ours but then again we have two flying wingers who would trouble any back line with space in front of em...
So the RFU and footballs governing body from 1966 are all in cahoots to make sure England have as big an advantage as possible? Not all country's have national stadiums either, New Zealand who held the last World Cup don't and neither do many others. They just rotate international games at different stadiums, so you are likely looking at a very small number of tournaments that have been held at country's with national stadiums. You also have to remember that England is a very small country in terms of land, so they don't need to spread there games around the country so all there fans can see, like say Brazil would have had to at the last football World Cup. The Rugby World Cup is obviously about finding the best team, but it's also about putting on a great show for the fans, so putting the games the most number of fans want to see in small stadiums makes no sense at all. Either way I don't see why it makes any difference which stadium the games are played in, the games are still on home soil wherever they are played. Your just finding sticks to beat us with just for the sake of it. Il take a guess that your Scottish judging by this petty point your making, as only the Scottish would be bitter enough to point something like that out
I said we needed to kick well- Youngs has wasted possession and penalties with shocking decision making. I said the back row had to step up and they haven't- annihilated at the breakdown and made to look what they are- bang average and not specialist. You are seeing the difference between a nearly good side and a very good side. Accuracy paramount.
Pocock is a complete animal at the break down.This doesn't look good for England,Australia very impressive so far.
Not know much about Union but their 6 & 7 seem a lot better than ours and when we got to the Aussie 22 they mauled us
Destroyed on the floor by Pocock. Beaten in the scrum. I hate to say I told you so but that's the way it goes.
Only got 5/4 but job done with plenty to spare. England well and truly battered. These Southern Hemisphere sides score tries when they sniff a chance. Australia probably not even in top gear tonight. They look New Zealand's only threat. Ireland flying the flag now for the Northern Hemisphere but can't see us beating the Aussies or NZ on top form. But we'll give it a go!
If it wasn't clear before it is black and white now- no way on this Earth is Robshaw or Wood good enough for back row at this level. No balance whatsoever. Time to find balance, momentum, and a logical, best 22 for 2019. Well done Australia and Wales.
Whoa, calm down ste one game at a time and all that. Not much to add, Australia were very good, solid all around and what a game Foley had there tonight. A personal best tally for himself and thoroughly deserved. Huge hit to the English economy, in the region of 3 billion...sad they leave so early but it was deserved on the performances put In.
The decision to go for the try last week was fatal, why not just take the draw? You deserved that at least v Wales IMO but cocked up by making a naive decision. That's when the hosts really went out
Beef, yes we should have seen the game out last week but we can't hide from the gulf in the key areas tonight. England have to be honest with themselves and open- it's the only way to build. Hopefully a watershed moment for the first time since pre 2003.
Because they weren't thinking straight BOS. I suspect Robshaw was so pissed off that they hadn't nailed the win by then and couldn't accept only drawing the game. Agreed it was the fatal decision but the bottom line is that we're not good enough.
